Cream separator



Feb. 25, 1947. v w. F. HAMPTON CREAM S EPARATOR Filed Oct. 2, 1944 Patented Feb. 25,; 1947 CREAM SEPARATOR Willard F. Hampton, Hutchinson, Kans.

Application vOctober 2, 1944, Serial No. 556,845

be separated from the milkwhile in the milk bottle, in such a way that the cream can be easily and quickly poured off without'allowing any of the underlying milk to escape, thereby making it vpossible to completely remove all of the cream which rises to the top in a milk bottle, without allowing any of the underlying milk to mix therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cream separating device which may be easily and quickly introduced into a milk bottle through the layer of cream and caused to open out in the bottle and form a partition between the bottom of the cream layer and the underlying milk, without materially disturbing the cream or causing any of the cream to become mixed to an appreciable extent, with the milk.

A further and more specific object of the invention is `to provide a cream separator by means of which cream may be separated from milk while in the milk bottle, which comprises a flexible diaphragm of rubber or othersuitable, similar material, with means, to whichthe diaphragm is connected, whereby the diaphragm may be bent or :drawn into a substantially cylindrical form to be readily introduced into and extended through the cream layer without materially disturbing the same, and then allowed to resume its normal disklike form within the bottle, substantially in the plane between the meeting surfaces of the cream layer and the milk, to completely partition the bottle so that the cream layer may be poured off without allowing any of the milk to escape.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this-specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of the device embodying the present invention showing the same in working 4 Claims. 5 (Cl. 21o-51:5)

r 2y position Within the upper portion of a milk'bottle, the bottle being in verti'calsection. y i

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken `on the line 2-2 of Figure `1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I 0 generally designates the stem forming the main body` portion of the device. This stem is of substantial length so that when the 'inner end thereof is introduced vvinto a `milk bottle through the cream layer to an Aextent where the inner end ofthe Astem will be below the layer of cream, the vother end of the stem Vwill project a substantial distance outside the bottle. The said otherend carries a ring II `by means of which the device may be conveiently inserted and withdrawn while the first mentioned or inner end of the stem carries the small disk head I2 and beyond such headis'screw-threaded Vas indicated at I3', to receive the diaphragm or rubber disk securing nut I4.

The threadedportion I3 of the 'stem' I0 is extended through the center of a disk or diaphragm lvwhich is formed of rubber or other suitable resilient material. This disk is of a diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the milk bottle in which the -device is used so that when the device is inserted into the bottle, rthe diaphragm, when allowed to expand to its full diameter, will have the relatively thin edge thereof pressed rmly against "the linner wall surface of thebottle as indicated' at I6, to form a seal with the bottle wall I'I and. tightly partition oli the milk from the cream layer. 'The bottle may then be tipped and the cream layer entirely poured off Without letting any of the milk escape with the cream. l

In order to facilitate the introduction of the diaphragm or disk I5 into a milk bottle through the cream layer, without materially disturbing such layer or causing any material mixing of the cream with the milk, means is provided for constricting or reducing the rubber disk to substantially cylindrical form so that it may 'be smoothly extended through the cream layer to the bottom thereof. Such means comprises the provision of a ring member I8 which encircles the stem 'I0 upon the inner side of the head I2.

Secured to the stem I0 are the oppositely directed outwardly extending pairs of arms I9, the arms lying in a common plane extending lengthwise of the stem and having guide apertures 20 through which are slidably extended the rods 2|, each of which is secured at its inner end to the ring I8.

Each rod 2l extends through two aligned apercondition in which it is shown in tures 20 of two spaced arms I9 as shown and each rod atits outer end is turned outwardly to form The constricted disk may then be introduced Y into the mouth of the bottle and through the cream layer until it reaches the -bottom of such Alayer whereupon,by withdrawing the ring I8 or by moving the head I2 back'through' the ring,

over-all diameter at least as great as the inside diameter of the bottle, a stem connected to the center of said disk for facilitating introducing the disk into the bottle, and shiftable means carried by the stem Von one side ofthe disc and adapted when moved toward and against the disc to effect the reduction of the diameter of the disk to allow for the introduction of the disk through the bottle mouth to the line of division between the selected strataand whenlmoved back toits initial position, to allow the disc to return by reason of its resilient character to its normal fiat condition.

3. A separating device as set forth in claim 2, in which the said means comprises an annulus Y encircling the stem, and means slidably coupled the disk or diaphragm will be permitted'` to re-y sume or tend to resumeits normal circular form. In so doing the periphery of the disk will come into tight contact with thewall of the bottle, the disk beingv initially of sufficiently vgreater ':liame` ter than the'in'side diameter'of the bottle topex'-, mit this. The disk or diaphragm will then form a tight Vpartition inthe bottle between "the milk and the cream layer as shown in Figure 1, whereuponY the bottle may be tipped suiciently to pour off the cream without permitting any of the milk to escape with the cream. 1 'From theforegoing, it will bereadily apparent that there is provided in the present invention, a simple but eflicientv device for separating cream 'frommilk While in the -milk bottle, yWhichdevice is so designed that it may be easilykept clean and sanitary. lv i I claim:

1. A device v'for separating strata of fluids of dilerent specic gravity in a bottle, comprising a circular normally substantially at, resilient diaphragm having a diameter a't leastequalvto the interior diameter of the' bottle, a long carrier 'Y member attached to the center ofthe diaphragm, i

and means disposed around the` carrier and movable axially thereof for reducing the diameter of thediaphragm when moved in one. direction 'to facilitate introducingthe diaphragm into the lbottle and for-releasing the diaphragmv when givenreverse movementtopermit the diaphragm to return to itssubstantially ilatcondition'.' A device for separating'selected strata of fluids Ofdiierentlspecic gravity in abottle,

comprising a resilient Vrubber disk' having I an with the stem and carrying the annulus for effecting desiredV movement of the annulus relative tothe disk.

4. A separating device of the character stated. comprising a relatively long stern having a handle at one end, a portionv cfv the stem at its other end being screw threaded,av head encircling the stem at the inner end of the screw threaded pore tion, a normally flat, resilient, rubber disk having the threaded portionof the stem extendingcen-` trally Y therethrough, a nut threadedv upon j the stem to bind the disk against said head, guides carried by the stem, an annulus encircling the stem adjacent the head and having an inside dia-meter greater than the head, and a rod cari ried by ksaid guides and -connected with's'aid'lannulus for facilitating lthe mover-nent of the an-f nulus relative to ythe disk, the annulus/when' forced against the disk past said-leead,V slidingover and reducing the'diameter-ofthe disk 'and when retracted permitting the disk-toreturnbi? reason of its resilient character toits norm-al flat condition. Y Y n' WUJLARDF. HAMPTON/ii "fREFERENoEs oIT'ED'" A The 'following'A references ,are17V of record the ille of this patent: r

vU 1\I1TED STATES PATENTS.. Number Y- NameY Y' `Date`v` 1,432,816Y Wendt 1 L foet. 24,'-1922 11,578,389 Braningto-nng fi/lar; 30,1926 1,590,807v Burnesrr-; June-29,1 V1926 V1,613,083 i Caseyi Jan. 4,1927 2,088,515. Greene 'e 1 Y July-27; 1937 2,267,654 Hedenskoog Dec, 23, 1941 

